VisionCheck might give you the option to ditch your visit to your optometrist

Next time you want to get your eyes tested, you may not have to visit the optician — you could test your eyes yourself at home using a new gadget that was named an Innovation Awards Honoree at CES 2019.

The EyeQue VisionCheck is an automated optical device that lets you measure your eyes’ refractive error, which is the numerical description of short- or long-sightedness that needs to be corrected with glasses. The system uses a smartphone app and a motorized optical scope along with a cloud-based platform to check your eyes at home. The optical scope attaches to the smartphone screen and uses Bluetooth to send data collected from your eyes to the phone, making it a cheap and mobile way to test eyesight.

The optical scope contains three optical lenses which are automatically rotated by a precision motor so that the lenses can capture each eye’s meridian — the line running across your visual field from top to bottom or left to right. There is also a rechargeable battery inside the scope, a Bluetooth control interface, and a touch mechanism. The scope pairs with the smartphone app which will measure pupillary distance — the distance between your pupils — which you need to know to order glasses.

More from CES 2019

This information collected by the scope can then be used to measure eye features like focus and astigmatism that cause vision limitations, and can give you a prescription-like measure of what eyeglasses you need to correct your vision. This is sure to be useful for the growing number of people who order glasses online instead of visiting an optometrist. It also has the potential to bring vital eye testing to people in remote areas who may not have access to a traditional eye doctor.

“We’re committed to bringing affordable, accurate, easy-to-use vision health trackers to market such that anyone, anywhere can take an active role in their own vision care,” said Dr. John Serri, co-founder and chief operating officer of EyeQue in a statement. “VisionCheck is the manifestation of remarkable optical ingenuity and heeded customer input. Leveraging Bluetooth technology, improved optics, a precision motor for automatic lens rotation to measure astigmatism, and an enhanced user-testing interface the product is now even more accessible and easier to use than its predecessor while remaining highly affordable.”

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